Standing Up for Change and for Hope

“If you had met me a few years back, I was very sad. I was not able to speak in front of my village, my class and all the people. But now, life has changed for good.”

Growing up in a rural village in Sindhuli, Nepal, Bhawana faced her share of challenges including the lack of proper, safe and accessible schools and hospitals, opportunities and knowledge on her rights as a child. 

But when World Vision stepped in to make a change, her life has changed completely.

Through the various training organised by World Vision staff, children in Bhawana’s community now have the chance to improve their literacy, life skills, giving them a newfound hope - a hope that children have their own rights and can stand up for themselves.

As part of World Vision’s interventions, Bhawana joined a child club and has grown to be a child leader in her village. World Vision’s child clubs form a safe and educational space for children in the community to gather and grow, educating themselves and others—even adults—on important and life-saving matters. These child clubs also act as a platform for these children to gain their own voice and act as leaders to other children in the community, honing them with important skills. 

Children leaders teach the younger children in their community about child rights, child protection, and human trafficking, and other knowledge such as emotion management and social skills. This information and skills are extremely important to the children as it enables them to identify and eliminate generational practices that have contributed to trapping them in poverty while empowering them to protect and stand for themselves. 

Bhawana herself has grown more confident to speak in front of people, and she is also more well-equipped with knowledge on how to protect child rights and has taken a step forward to even educate adults in her village. Such interventions, even from children themselves, can help to lower rates of child marriage and increase the number of children attending schools regularly - resulting in an increased likelihood for these children to be able to pull themselves and their families out of poverty. 

As leaders of the next generation and trailblazers to a better life, it is crucial that these children are provided with a safe environment to study, taught their rights, empowered with skills to protect themselves and grow in an environment where these rights are acknowledged and respected. 

Catch Bhawana's full sharing during World Vision's Vision in Action webinar here and learn more about the struggles her community is facing! 

You, too, can play a part in helping World Vision to continue empowering children, instilling a sense of hope and equipping them with the necessary skills and support to change their future when you sponsor a child!